English Conversation: Travelling in Europe and Asia

​Are you interested in travelling abroad? Where would you like to go?
Do you have experience organising a trip yourself? Who do you usually travel with? 

Read the conversation between a European person (Jane) and a Chinese person (Kaylin). It may give you some travel ideas as well as inspiration. 

Pay close attention to word combinations. You can also take notes in your notebook. 

Jane: Do you have any plans for the summer? 
Kaylin: No, I don't have plans for the summer, but I'm going to Italy in October. I find Europe really beautiful and people there are so nice and friendly. The air quality is much better compared to China. I always travel with my husband, daughter and sometimes with my parents-in-law. The only thing I usually worry about before travelling abroad is safety. I've heard that Europe is currently not that safe and I'm a little bit worried. But I think this is not a major problem because we organised the trip with a local travel agency. We booked the flight tickets and we applied for tourist visas ourselves. After we arrive in Rome, an employee from the travel agency will pick us up at the airport. We are going to spend 7 days in Italy and 4 days in France. 
Jane: Which cities are you going to visit in Italy? 
Kaylin: We're going to visit Rome, Milan and Florence. 
Jane: So it's an organised trip, isn't it? 
Kaylin: Yes, it's organised in Italy. We've been to France before so we don't need an organised trip there and we can travel ourselves. In France, we're going to Paris and Nice. 
Jane: So you said you had already booked your tickets. Who are you travelling with? 
Kaylin: I'm going with my husband, daughter and some friends. We're five adults and one kid. 
Jane: I see. Is there any reason for choosing Italy? 
Kaylin: Yes, because Italy is my ideal country. I searched for information about these cities on the Internet. Some friends of mine told me about Italy and how beautiful it is. I'm interested in the country's history as well. Unfortunately, it's a traditional Chinese holiday in October and the ticket prices are a bit too high at that time of the year. 
Jane: How much does it cost per adult? 
Kaylin: I bought round-trip tickets and it was about 7,500 RMB per person. That's over $1,000. 
Jane: Isn't it cheaper for children? 
Kaylin: It's not cheap, actually. There's only a 10% discount. 
Jane: Well, that's not much. 

... 

Kaylin: Do you have any plans to visit Shanghai? 
Jane: I'd love to but I think it would be expensive. 
Kaylin: What do you think would be expensive? 
Jane: I think the flight tickets and also hotels. 
Kaylin: I think you should take advantage of the low-season airfares. For example, you can visit China from March till June or in November and December. Do you like cold weather? 
Jane: Not really. (both laughing) 
Kaylin: Then, I suggest you come to Shanghai in May or June. 
Jane: Apart from Shanghai, what other places would you recommend? 
Kaylin: Beijing, it's a historic city. 
Jane: I would like to visit the Forbidden City. To be honest, I don't really know many tourist attractions in Beijing. 

... 

Jane: I know that a lot of tourists visit China every year. Do you think they need to be careful when travelling in your country? 
Kaylin: I think Chinese people should change their mindset. For instance, cars won't stop for people to cross the street. I've been to other countries and drivers would always stop for us. It's terrible when people don't obey the rules in a country. 
Jane: What other advice would you give to tourists? What do you think would be useful for them to know? 
Kaylin: Probably food... Let me think. I guess, that's not a big problem. There are plenty of restaurants people can choose from. I think foreigners need to take the weather into account. Temperatures vary a great deal depending on the area. I think spring is the best time to visit China. 
Jane: Yes, it's a huge country, so I'm sure the weather can be quite different when you travel within the country. 

... 

Jane: There are a lot of people nowadays who organise their trips by themselves and they are solo travellers. Have you ever travelled alone? 
Kaylin: No, I haven't. I don't like travelling alone. Even when I'm on business trips, I always travel with a colleague. I'm scared to travel only by myself. 

... 

Jane: Have you ever had any bad hotel experience? 
Kaylin: Yes, I have. 
Jane: Where did it happen? 
Kaylin: In Thailand. The room was not very clean and their room service was not that satisfying. 
Jane: Do you remember the star rating? 
Kaylin: I'm not completely sure if it was 3 or 4 stars. Thailand is a popular tourist destination and I actually thought the quality of their service would be better. 
Jane: And how many times have you been to Thailand? 
Kaylin: I've been there twice. 
Jane: Which cities did you go to? 
Kaylin: I went to Phuket and Chiang Mai. 
Jane: Yeah, I know these places. Would you visit Thailand in the future? 
Kaylin: So far I have no plans to visit it again. 
Jane: What Asian countries would you like to visit and you haven't visited yet? 
Kaylin: I haven't been to Taiwan and Vietnam yet. 


TASK:
Leave a comment below and tell us about your recent travel experience or anything you like to share about travelling in your country or abroad. 

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